The "Rose of the North"

Chiang Mai (เชียงใหม่) is the gateway to Northern Thailand. With a population of over 170,000, Chiang Mai is Thailand's second-largest city after Bangkok. Located on a plain next to a mountain, surrounded by lush countryside, and with a cosmopolitan air and a significant expat population, it is much greener and quieter than the capital, factors which have led many from Bangkok to settle permanently in this "Rose of the North".

Doi Suthep Temple
Doi Suthep Temple

Architecture

Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples (called "wats" in Thai). These include:

 

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep: the most famous temple in the area, standing on a hill to the north-west of the city. This temple dates from 1383. Its builders allegedly chose its site by placing a relic of the Lord Buddha on an elephant's back and letting the elephant roam until it came across a place where it trumpeted and circled before lying down. The onlookers took this as marking an auspicious place to build the temple. The temple's location also affords superb views over the city on a clear day.

Wat U-Mong: a forest and cave wat in the foothills in the west of the city, near Chiang Mai University. Wat U-Mong is known for its grotesque concrete fasting Buddha and hundreds of pithy Buddhist proverbs in English and Thai posted on trees throughout its grounds.

Culture

Chiang Mai hosts many Thai festivals, including:
Loi Kratong:(known locally as Yi Peng): Held on a full-moon night in November. Every year thousands of people assemble floating banana-leaf containers (krathong) decorated with flowers and candles onto the waterways of the city to worship the Goddess of Water. Lanna-style hot-air lanterns (khom fai) are launched into the air. These are believed to help rid the locals of troubles and are also taken to decorate houses and streets.


Loi Kratong Festiva
Loi Kratong Festival

Miss Songkran 2005
Miss Songkran 2005

Songkran: Held in mid-April to celebrate the traditional Thai new year. Chiang Mai has become one of the most popular locations to visit for this festival. A variety of religious and fun-related activities (notably the good-natured city-wide water-fight) take place each year, along with parades and a Miss Songkran beauty competition.

Flower Festival: A three-day festival held during the first weekend in February each year, this event occurs when Chiang Mai's temperate and tropical flowers are in full bloom. The festivities include floral floats, parades, traditional dancing shows, and a beauty contest.

Climate

Cool Season : (late October to end of Februry). average temperature 21º C and much cooler at night. The colest months are December and January.

Hot Season : (early March to end of May) Average temperature 29.9º C. The hottest month is April.

Rainy Season : (early June to end of October). Average temperature 25.5º C. The wettest month is September.

Things to see/ Thing to do
(many of the following activities are included in our 7 Day Course and Tour)

Elephants: The elephant camps and conservation centers in the north of Thailand are plentiful and a must see and do for tourists going to Chiang Mai. There are even courses that offer you a feel for taking care of an elephant, which may have little practical use after you leave Thailand, but does offer a wonderful insight to the life long dedication and responsibility of owning and caring for an elephant.

Elephant Riding

Hill-tribe tourism : visit the various local hill tribes. These include representatives from the Akha, Hmong, Karen, and Lisu tribes.

Other outdoor activities: The varied local terrain offers opportunities for mountain biking, bamboo rafting, and kayaking. The area has several golf courses. The nearby national park that includes Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand, features many hiking trails.

Shopping: Chiang Mai has a large and famous nightly bazaar for arts, handicrafts, and counterfeit products of all descriptions, and a number of large, well-appointed modern shopping centres.

Thai massage: The back streets and main thoroughfares of Chiang Mai have a variety of massage parlours which offer anything from quick, simple, face and foot massages, to month-long courses in the art of Thai massage.

Local museums: These include the Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre, the Hill Tribe Museum, and the Chiang Mai National Museum.

Thai cookery: A number of Thai cooking schools have their home in Chiang Mai (see also Thai food)

Getting there

Chiang Mai International Airport receives up to 28 flights a day from Bangkok (flight time about 1 hour 10 minutes) and also serves as a local hub for services to other northern cities such as Chiang Rai, Phrae and Mae Hong Son. International services also connect Chiang Mai with other regional centres, including Xian (China), Kunming (China), Luang Phrabang (Laos), Taipei (Taiwan), Singapore, Hong Kong, Yangon (Myanmar), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), and Tokyo (Japan).

Bus, train and air connections serve Chiang Mai well. A number of bus stations link the city to central and northern Thailand. The Central Chang Pheuak terminal (north of Chiang Puak Gate) provides local services within Chiang Mai province and the Chiang Mai Arcade bus terminal northeast of the city (requires Songthaew or tuk tuk ride, see below) provides services to over 20 other destinations in Thailand including Bangkok, Ayutthaya, and Phitsanulok. There are several services a day from Chiang Mai Arcade terminal to Bangkok (a 10–12 hour journey).

The state railway operates 14 trains a day to Chiang Mai Station from Bangkok. Most journeys run overnight and take approximately 12–15 hours. Most trains offer first-class (private cabins) and a second-class (seats fold out to make sleeping berths) service.

To get to cities such as Mae Hong Son or Chiang Rai a plane or bus must be used. No trains are available to cities north of Chiang Mai.

 

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